New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-16
THE POWER OF REMOViL.

unto himself; he is subject to the law lilo
has the legal right to make a clean sweep
of the post-ofices without fear of any penalty
but the popular disapprOval lie has the
legal right to turn out all the internal revenue
collectors, as he has done, and make an almost
clean sweep Of marshals, distrlct-attorneys-
collectors, ETC., etc. In these matters there
Is no restraint upon his actions but his
pled ges, which he evidently prefers for his
own purposes not to keep, and the fear Of
public sentiment which he doubtless hopes
will be good enough to have a
short memory. But with regard to
the clerical force in the Departments at
Washington and the principal Offices through
out the country, he has no such discretion
either for himself or for his subordinatcs
and political friends. Here the Civil Service
Reform sentiment Is not a public opinion OF
vague popular desire; it is crysalllzed into
law as precise and as binding as that which
regulates his salary or governs the operations
of the Treasury. And yet the contrast be-
tween what Mr.. cleveland promised and has
performed in the matter Of the more impor-
tant Offices as portrayed by Mr.. Curtis in his
Newport indictment of the Administration.
Is uOt mOic SlduHS OA'Ah VIM NOh-
trast between the condition which
the Civil Service law was intended to establish
in the clerical service of the larger offices.
and the condition which actually exists in
some Of them to-day. The law is not being
directly violated, perhaps, IN its
letter, but it is being outraged
in its spirit 1t is persistently and
successfully evadcd, and the witnesses against
the President are the Civil Service Reformer,
themselves.
1t was thought that this much ground al
least reform had gained and could safely
hold, and even hope to increase. But there
was one hole where a spokesman having the
appointing power could creep through the
law. The power of removal was left almost
unlimited, and necessarily so. 1t would be
impossible to conduct successfully any
business, public or private, if the
chief had not discretion in the
removal of subordnateS. To attempt
10 govern removals from clerical force on
a fixed system of rules, or to insist that
chief shall make out case against clerk
that will stand in court, would be absurd.
We should have clerks barIicading themselves
behind their desks and firing vollcys of man.
damuses and orders to show cause at their
supcriors, like New-York Commissioners when
a Mayor tues to get them out Of Office. u
was believed at the time The law was passed
that there would nc no temptation "n the
part Of the head of an Office 10 abuse this
power of removal, because the vacancy would
have to be filled from among the successful
competitors in the examinations, and there
would be no way of getting friends in.
But this hope has been disappointed in the
cases Of at least three important ollices-thc
Chicago post-oilice and custom house and the
Philadelphia post-otlicc. In the latter Office
1914 appointments have been made, and 49,
of these are of Democrats, showing superb
orlty Of intelligence and scholarly acquire
mcnts in the average Philadelphia Democrat
which is surprising, and which astonshcd
most Of all the Philadelphia Democrat who
addressed the Newport Conference on the sub
jcct. Not only that, but the sue
ccssful men belonged to the post
masters own faction within the party.
technically known Harrity Democrats,
and "Ant- Harrity Democrats had no better
luck in the examinations than the Republicans.
In the Chicago post-oilicc Mr.. Judd APP
pointed, according to the statement Of the
local Civil Service Reform League, 1S6 clerks
and letter-carrers within a little more than
year. OF three "a week. All but thirty-five
of these appointments, which were for addi
tiopal carriers, involved removals or = resig-
nations This was while there was still q
Rcmblican in the examining board. The
board was made solidly Democratic, and in
eight weeks seventy-two removals were made.
e al. L..
So, too in the custom house more than one
half the force was removed during a little
more than a year Not one Repubca was
appointed during all these Chicago changes.
Now it does not help matters in the least
10 say that few Republicans applied for cX-
animation, because there is still a popular be-
lief that only members of the party in power
are likely to pass. The important fact is
that wholesale removals were made in these
Offices to make room for Democrats, at rate
which recalls the reign Of terror in the New
York Custom House twenty years ago when
the Republican factions took turns in cutting
each others throats. Docs any sane man
believe that these removals were made for
good cause? Docs any sane man believe that
good causes could be found fast enough 10
remove three clerks every two days? 1t is
essential that this power of removal should be
exercised by men who believe in the law and
are not political jobbers, such as the men at
the head of these Offices are. President
Cleveland cannot approve their actions with
out mourning the blame Of deliberately be-
traying the Civil Service law.
CHESHIRES RESPONSE TO LINCOLN
Cheshire in the West Of England repeats
tho c;nnaI Grct rnicnd In [ incolnahiro ON flo